Apparatus to minimize paper particulate from paper based carrier tape reel

ABSTRACT

A reel adapted to have chip carrier tape wound thereabout includes at least one flange and a plastic rail. The flange is made from a paper-based material. The plastic rail is attached an interior major surface of the paper flange. The plastic rail may extend along a radial direction of the flange and/or along a circumferential direction of the flange, for example. The plastic rail may be substantially straight and/or curved, for example. The plastic rail is preferably made from a static dissipative material. The plastic rail reduces or eliminates the generation of paper particles from the paper-based flange while reeling/unreeling chip carrier tape from the reel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention generally relates to paper based reels forholding chip carrier tape, as used for shipping semiconductor chips. Inone aspect, it relates to apparatus and methods to minimize paperparticulate from cardboard reels as the carrier tape is reeled/unreeled.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Some manufacturers produce semiconductor chips at onegeographical location and have the chips packaged at anothergeographical location. Also, some manufacturers ship large quantities ofpackaged chips to other geographical locations. In such cases, the chips(packaged or unpackaged) are often delivered in a tape and reel package.A conventional tape and reel shipping package 20 is shown in FIG. 1.While reels may be made entirely from anti-static plastic, many existingreels have cardboard or thick paper side flanges.

[0003] Currently, many carrier tape suppliers deliver their carrier tapeon cardboard reels or thick paper reels. As the carrier tape 22 isunwound from such reels 24, the tape 22 often rubs against the paperflanges 26 of the reel 24 (see FIG. 1). Such rubbing causes paperparticles to fall into empty pockets of the carrier tape. Often thesepaper particles become sealed into the pockets of the tape along withthe chips stored therein. Then, the chips and the paper particles areshipped and delivered to another site or to customers. Customers aretypically displeased to find paper particles or any other foreignmaterials in the pockets with the chips and on the chips beingdelivered. For example, paper particles on the chips could causesolderability problems during reflow at the customer. Also, paperparticles from such reels tend to accumulate in the cabinets used tostore and house the reels. Furthermore, such paper particles tend to getmoved around the factory along with the reels, which is highlyundesirable in a clean factory environment. Hence, there is a need foran apparatus and method to reduce or eliminate the generation of paperparticles from cardboard/paper-flanged reels.

[0004] One solution is to use reels made entirely of plastic. However,the all-plastic reels usually cost more than the cardboard reels. Also,there is an abundance of existing cardboard reels in use or in stock.Thus, a need exists for a way to continue using existingcardboard/paper-flanged reels while also reducing or eliminating thegeneration of paper particles during use of such reels to unreel, reel,and store chip carrier tape.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The problems and needs outlined above are addressed by certainaspects of the present invention. In accordance with one aspect of thepresent invention, a reel adapted to have chip carrier tape woundthereabout is provided. The reel includes a drum portion, a first flangeportion, a second flange portion, and a plastic portion. The firstflange portion extends from the drum at a first end of the drum in agenerally radial direction. The first flange is made from papermaterial. The second flange portion extends from the drum at a secondend of the drum in a generally radial direction. A tape storing regionis formed between the first and second flange portions. The plasticportion is attached to the first flange portion and extends from thefirst flange portion into the tape storing region.

[0006] Another plastic portion may be attached to the second flangeportion and extend from the second flange portion into the tape storingregion. The plastic portion may be removably or permanently attached tothe first flange portion, for example. The plastic portion may includegenerally radially extending spokes and/or at least one round-shapedrail that is generally concentric with the drum portion, for example.The plastic portion may be formed from a band adapted to fit over anouter edge of the first flange portion. The plastic portion may be discshaped and mounted against an interior major surface of the first flangeportion. The plastic portion may be a layer formed on the first flangeportion.

[0007] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, apackage of semiconductor chips is provided, which includes chip carriertape, a plurality of semiconductor chips, and a reel. The chip carriertape has a series of pockets. The plurality of semiconductor chips arelocated in at least some of the pockets. The reel has the chip carriertape wound thereabout. The reel includes a drum portion, a first flangeportion, a second flange portion, and a plastic portion. The firstflange portion extends from the drum at a first end of the drum in agenerally radial direction. The first flange is made from papermaterial. The second flange portion extends from the drum at a secondend of the drum in a generally radial direction. A tape storing regionis formed between the first and second flange portions. The plasticportion is attached to the first flange portion and extends from thefirst flange portion into the tape storing region.

[0008] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, areel adapted to have chip carrier tape wound thereabout is provided. Thereel includes a drum portion, a first flange portion, a second flangeportion, and a non-paper layer. The first flange portion extends fromthe drum at a first end of the drum in a generally radial direction. Thefirst flange is made from paper material. The second flange portionextends from the drum at a second end of the drum in a generally radialdirection. A tape storing region is formed between the first and secondflange portions. The non-paper layer is formed on the first flangeportion and extends from the first flange portion into the tape storingregion. The layer may be made from an anti-static polyethylene material,for example.

[0009] In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention,a reel adapted to have chip carrier tape wound thereabout is provided.The reel includes a drum, a first paper flange, a second paper flange,and a non-paper disc. The first paper flange is attached to a first endof the drum. The second paper flange is attached to a second end of thedrum. The non-paper disc is located about the drum between the first andsecond flanges. The disc has a hole formed therein, and the drum extendsthrough the hole in the disc. The disc may be made from an anti-staticplastic material, for example.

[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, areel adapted to have chip carrier tape wound thereabout is provided. Thereel includes a flange and a plastic rail. The flange is made from apaper-based material. The plastic rail is attached an interior majorsurface of the paper flange. The plastic rail may extend along a radialdirection of the flange and/or along a circumferential direction of theflange, for example. The plastic rail may be substantially straightand/or curved, for example. The plastic rail is preferably made from astatic dissipative material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The above features of the present invention will be more clearlyunderstood from consideration of the following descriptions inconnection with accompanying drawings in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional tape and reelpackage having chip carrier tape wound thereon;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a front view of a conventional reel of the prior art;

[0014]FIG. 3 is sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a front view of another conventional reel of the priorart;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a front view of a reel in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 6 is sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

[0018]FIGS. 7A-7H are cross-section views of some example rails that maybe used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a front view of a reel in accordance with a secondembodiment of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 9 is sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a front view of a reel in accordance with a thirdembodiment of the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 11 is sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

[0023]FIG. 12 is a front view of a reel in accordance with a fourthembodiment of the present invention;

[0024]FIG. 13 is sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

[0025]FIG. 14 is a front view of a reel in accordance with a fifthembodiment of the present invention;

[0026]FIG. 15 is sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 14;

[0027]FIG. 16 is a front view of a reel in accordance with a sixthembodiment of the present invention;

[0028]FIG. 17 is sectional view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

[0029]FIG. 18 is a cross-section view taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 17;and

[0030]FIG. 19 is a cross-section view of an example alternative edgering that may be incorporated into an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers areused herein to designate like elements throughout the various views,preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated anddescribed. As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art,the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instancesthe drawings have been exaggerated and/or simplified in places forillustrative purposes only. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate the many applications and variations of the present inventionin light of the following description of the preferred embodiments ofthe present invention. The preferred embodiments discussed herein areillustrative examples of the present invention and do not limit thescope of the invention to the preferred embodiments described.

[0032]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional reel 24 with a chipcarrier tape 22 wound thereabout. The conventional reel 24 of FIG. 1 hascardboard paper flanges 26 attached to a cardboard drum 28. A front viewof the conventional reel 24 of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is asectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 to illustrate the interiorsurface for one of the cardboard flanges 26. Although the conventionalreel 24 shown has a cardboard drum 28, there may be conventional reelsthat have plastic or metal drums. Also, there are conventional reelsthat are made entirely of plastic or entirely of metal. The flange 26 ofa conventional reel 24 may be made from cardboard, laminated paperlayers, corrugated cardboard, thick paper, recycled paper-basedmaterial, or any combination thereof, for example. The terms “paper,”“paper material,” or “paper-based material” is used herein to includeall particulate-generating reel materials, such as paper, cardboard,recycled material, partially recycled material, or wood-basedfiberboard, for example.

[0033] Note that a reel 24 may be adapted to hold one or more rows ofwound carrier tape 22 (a.k.a., multi-wound carrier tape reels). Forexample, the reel 24 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is adapted to hold multiple rowsof chip carrier tape 22. FIG. 4 shows a front view of a conventionalpaper reel 24 adapted to hold only one row of a wound carrier tape 22(a.k.a., single wound carrier tape reels), and hence the reel 24 has adrum 28 with an interior width 30 slightly larger than the width of agiven chip carrier tape 22, but narrower than two times the width of thechip carrier tape 22.

[0034] Generally, an embodiment of the present invention reduces oreliminates the generation of paper particles from a cardboard/paperflanged reel while reeling/unreeling chip carrier tape from the reel.Some preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in FIGS.5-16, as described next.

[0035] A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 5and 6. FIG. 5 is a front view of a reel 24 of the first embodiment. FIG.6 is a sectional view of the reel 24 taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5. Afirst flange 26 a is attached to a first end 31 of a drum 28. The firstflange 26 a is made from paper material (e.g., cardboard, recycledpaper, etc.). A second flange 26 b is attached to a second end 32 of thedrum 28, and the second flange 26 b is also made from paper material inthis case. A chip carrier tape storing region 34 is formed between theflanges 26 a, 26 b. The first embodiment has eight plastic rails 40 (orspokes) attached to each flange 26 a, 26 b. The plastic rails 40 extendinto the tape storing region 34. In the first embodiment, the plasticrails 40 are straight and extend radially. The plastic rails 40 hinderor prevent chip carrier tape (not shown in FIG. 1) from rubbing againstthe paper portions of the flanges 26 a, 26 b as the tape is being woundonto or unwound from the reel 24. This reduces or eliminates thegeneration of undesired paper particulates from the paper portions ofthe flanges 26 a, 26 b during use of the reel 24, as compared to aconventional reel with paper flanges.

[0036] For an embodiment of the present invention, the number of rails40 on a given flange 26 may vary. For example, although the firstembodiment has eight rails 40 on each flange 26, it may have any numberof rails (e.g., 2, 4, 10). This may apply to any embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0037] The plastic rails 40 for an embodiment of the present inventionare preferably made from static dissipative plastic to reduce oreliminate the build-up of static electricity during use. Plastic is usedgenerically herein to refer to a group of materials (related orunrelated) that exhibit similar properties to fulfill the purpose(s) ofthe present invention. Thus, other static dissipative materials orantistatic materials may be used in place of plastic as an equivalent.Although it is preferable to use a static dissipative or antistaticmaterial, other materials that are less capable of being staticdissipative may be used as well to provide an alternative materialchoice. These material variations may apply to any embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0038]FIGS. 7A-7H illustrate some exemplary cross-section shapes forrails 40 that may be used on an embodiment of the present invention. Theshapes shown in FIGS. 7A-7H are merely a few examples. With the benefitof this disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will realize manyother possible cross-section shapes that may be used for a rail 40. Arail 40 may be solid (see e.g., FIGS. 7A-7D), hollow (see e.g., FIGS.7E-7F), or partially hollow, for example. Also, a rail 40 may have tabs42 extending therefrom (see e.g., FIGS. 7G and 7H), which may be used toattach the rail 40 to a flange 26. Such tabs 42 may extend along theextent of the rail, may partially extend along the rail, or may belocated at discrete locations, for example. Also, the size of a givenrail may vary to suit the needs of a given application for anembodiment. These variations may apply to any embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0039] The rails 40 of an embodiment may be permanently or removablyattached. Whether permanently or removably attached, it may bepreferably to make the rails 40 easy to permanently remove whenrecycling the materials of a reel 24. Examples of how a rail 40 may bepermanently attached to a flange 26 include, but are not limited to:staples, rivets, adhesive, sewn, ultrasonically welded, fused, melting aportion of the rail, reshaping or reforming a portion of a rail,reshaping a tab end, melting a tab end, forming a tab end to a largerdiameter shape, flattening a tab end, attaching a tab to a rail (e.g.,using bonding, welding, adhesive, melting), adding material to a tab endto increase its size (e.g., using bonding, welding, adhesive, melting),or any combination thereof, for example. Examples of how a rail 40 maybe removably attached to a flange 26 include, but are not limited to: asnap fit, a snap fastener, clipping a rail to the flange, slipping arail onto or over an edge of a flange, a tab-in-slot configuration,tongue-in-groove configuration, dove-tail configuration, stretched ontoor over an edge of a flange, hoop and latch fastener (e.g., Velcro),screws, bolts, or any combination thereof, for example. Also, anycombination of permanent and removable attachment methods may be usedtogether. With the benefit of this disclosure, one of ordinary skill inthe art will likely realize many other ways to attach a rail 40 to aflange 26 for another embodiment of the present invention. Theseattachment variations may apply to any embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0040]FIGS. 8 and 9 show a reel 24 for a second embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 8 is a front view of the reel 24 of the secondembodiment. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the reel 24 taken along line9-9 of FIG. 8. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment,except that the rails 40 have curved shapes, as shown in FIG. 9. Inother embodiments, the rails 40 may have other shapes and/or differentcombinations of shapes. Also, the rail shapes, rail lengths, railproportions, rail sizes, and rail cross-sections used per flange 26 mayvary for an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041]FIGS. 10 and 11 show a reel 24 for a third embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 10 is a front view of the reel 24 of the thirdembodiment. FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the reel 24 taken along line11-11 of FIG. 10. The plastic rails 40 of the third embodiment haveround shapes or ring shapes, and are generally concentric with the drumportion 28 (see e.g., FIG. 11). The placement and number of the plasticrails 40 about the drum 28 may vary.

[0042]FIGS. 12 and 13 show a reel 24 for a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 12 is a front view of the reel 24 of the fourthembodiment. FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the reel 24 taken along line13-13 of FIG. 12. The plastic portion of the fourth embodiment is a discshaped member 50 with a hole 52 formed therein. The drum 28 extendsthrough the hole 52 in the disc 50. The disc 50 may be free to moverotationally and/or laterally relative to the drum 28 and the flanges26. In other embodiments, the disc 50 may be fixed to the flange 26and/or the drum 28. The disc 50 may be made from any non-paper material,for example. The diameter of the disc 50 may be less than, approximatelyequal to, or greater than that of an adjacent flange 26. The disc 50acts as a separator between the chip carrier tape and a flange 26. Thehole 52 in the disc 50 may be larger than, approximately the samediameter as, or greater than the outer diameter of the drum 28. It maybe undesirable to allow the disc 50 to rotate against the flange 26during use, as this may generate paper particulates from the flange 26.However, if the flange 26 has a coating or layer, the disc 50 may rubagainst the flange without generating paper particulates.

[0043] In a fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a layer 60 isformed on or attached to a flange 26 to provide a separator between thechip carrier tape and the flange 26. For example, a paper flange may belaminated with an antistatic polyethylene layer 60. The layer 60 maycover the entire interior surface of the flange 26, as shown in FIGS. 14and 15. Although not shown, the layer 60 may also partially or entirelycover the flange 26 or a majority of the flange's outer surfaces orexposed outer surfaces, including the edges, for example. Such layer 60may be sprayed on, adhered on, dipped on, or poured on, for example.With the benefit of this disclosure one of ordinary skill in the artwill likely realize many other ways to form or attach a non-paper layer60 to a paper flange surface.

[0044]FIGS. 16 and 17 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention.The sixth embodiment incorporates an edge band or ring 70 that is fittedover the outer edge of the flange 26 and attached in place with at leastone staple 72. FIG. 18 shows a cross-section of the plastic ring 70 ofFIGS. 16 and 17. The material used for the ring 70 may be flexible,rigid, stretchable, brittle, or some combination thereof, for example.FIG. 19 shows another cross-section for an edge ring 70 that may besubstituted into the sixth embodiment. If the edge band 70 isstretchable, it may be made with a smaller diameter than the flange 26so that it is in a stretched configuration on the edge of the flange 26when operably installed. The edge band 70 may be held in place simply bythe stretching force of the edge band 70 being stretched about theflange edge. With the benefit of this disclosure, one of ordinary skillin the art will likely realize many other possible cross-section shapesthat may be used for an edge band or edge ring 70 for an embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0045] Also, any of the features of the embodiments discussed herein maybe combined to form other embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, a flange 26 may have an antistatic polyethylene layer 60 formedon each major surface and a stretchable edge band 70 fitted over theouter edge of the flange 26 (not shown). Some or all of the plasticportions of an embodiment may be reused many times if the paper portionsbecome overly worn, torn, or deteriorated first. Likewise, some or allof the plastic portions may be replaced if a portion is broken or lostduring shipping or use.

[0046] Reels 24 are often stored or used while installed in a cabinet orrack (not shown). In such cases, the flanges 26 may also rub against thecabinet walls or against a portion of a rack during use. Thus, it may bedesirable to have rails 40, a disc 50, a layer 60, an edge band 70, orany combination thereof on an outer surface of a flange 26, and/orextending outward from the flange 26, to prevent or hinder the paperportions of the flange 26 from rubbing against a cabinet or rack.

[0047] Some advantages of an embodiment of the present invention mayinclude (but not necessarily limited to) the following:

[0048] Reduce or prevent the generation of paper particulates duringnormal use and handling of the reels;

[0049] Allow the conversion of many existing reels havingpaper/cardboard flanges to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Allow the use of paper/cardboard flanges without the mess ofpaper particulate, which may be less expensive than all-plastic reels orreels having plastic flanges;

[0051] May be made from recycled materials;

[0052] May be recycled;

[0053] Portions of an embodiment may be reused as other portions are nolonger usable; and

[0054] Portions of an embodiment may be easily replaced if damaged orbroken.

[0055] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having thebenefit of this disclosure that an embodiment of the present inventionprovides a reel that decreases or eliminates the generation of paperparticulates during shipping and/or use. It should be understood thatthe drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive manner, and are not intended tolimit the invention to the particular forms and examples disclosed. Onthe contrary, the invention includes any further modifications, changes,rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, andembodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined by thefollowing claims. Thus, it is intended that the following claims beinterpreted to embrace all such further modifications, changes,rearrangements, substitutions, alternatives, design choices, andembodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reel adapted to have chip carrier tape woundthereabout, comprising: a drum portion; a first flange portion extendingfrom the drum at a first end of the drum in a generally radialdirection, the first flange being made from paper material; a secondflange portion extending from the drum at a second end of the drum in agenerally radial direction, wherein a tape storing region is formedbetween the first and second flange portions; and a plastic portionattached to the first flange portion and extending from the first flangeportion into the tape storing region.
 2. The reel of claim 1, whereinanother plastic portion is attached to the second flange portion andextends from the second flange portion into the tape storing region. 3.The reel of claim 1, wherein the plastic portion is removably attachedto the first flange portion.
 4. The reel of claim 1, wherein the plasticportion is permanently attached to the first flange portion.
 5. The reelof claim 1, wherein the plastic portion comprises generally radiallyextending spokes.
 6. The reel of claim 1, wherein the plastic portioncomprises at least one round-shaped rail that is generally concentricwith the drum portion.
 7. The reel of claim 1, wherein the plasticportion is formed from a band adapted to fit over an outer edge of thefirst flange portion.
 8. The reel of claim 1, wherein the plasticportion is disc shaped and mounted against an interior major surface ofthe first flange portion.
 9. The reel of claim 1, wherein the plasticportion is a layer formed on the first flange portion.
 10. A package ofsemiconductor chips, comprising: chip carrier tape having a series ofpockets; a plurality of semiconductor chips located in at least some ofthe pockets; and a reel having the chip carrier tape wound thereabout,the reel comprising a drum portion, a first flange portion extendingfrom the drum at a first end of the drum in a generally radialdirection, the first flange being made from paper material, a secondflange portion extending from the drum at a second end of the drum in agenerally radial direction, wherein a tape storing region is formedbetween the first and second flange portions, and a plastic portionattached to the first flange portion and extending from the first flangeportion into the tape storing region.
 11. A reel adapted to have chipcarrier tape wound thereabout, comprising: a drum portion; a firstflange portion extending from the drum at a first end of the drum in agenerally radial direction, the first flange being made from papermaterial; a second flange portion extending from the drum at a secondend of the drum in a generally radial direction, wherein a tape storingregion is formed between the first and second flange portions; and anon-paper layer formed on the first flange portion and extending fromthe first flange portion into the tape storing region.
 12. The reel ofclaim 11, wherein the layer is made from an anti-static polyethylenematerial.
 13. A reel adapted to have chip carrier tape wound thereabout,comprising: a drum; a first paper flange attached to a first end of thedrum; a second paper flange attached to a second end of the drum; and anon-paper disc located about the drum between the first and secondflanges, the disc having a hole formed therein, and the drum extendingthrough the hole in the disc.
 14. The reel of claim 13, wherein the discis made from an anti-static plastic material.
 15. A reel adapted to havea chip carrier tape wound thereabout, comprising: a flange made from apaper-based material; and a plastic rail attached an interior majorsurface of the paper flange.
 16. The reel of claim 15, wherein theplastic rail extends along a radial direction of the flange.
 17. Thereel of claim 15, wherein the plastic rail extends along acircumferential direction of the flange.
 18. The reel of claim 15,wherein the plastic rail is substantially straight.
 19. The reel ofclaim 15, wherein the plastic rail is curved.
 20. The reel of claim 15,wherein the plastic rail is made from a static dissipative material.